a time to love, and a time to (A)hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

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25 (A)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and (B)gave himself up for her,

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28 In the same way (A)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

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26 (A)“If anyone comes to me and (B)does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, (C)yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

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(A)But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune.

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and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

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19 and to know the love of Christ (A)that surpasses knowledge, that (B)you may be filled with all (C)the fullness of God.

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(A)“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but (B)have tested those (C)who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

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“When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and (A)I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you (B)and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, (C)and you became mine.

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21 (A)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not (B)loathe those who (C)rise up against you?

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Jehoshaphat's Prayer

20 After this (A)the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[b] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in (B)Hazazon-tamar” (that is, (C)Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face (D)to seek the Lord, and (E)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not (F)God in heaven? You (G)rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. (H)In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, (I)drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of (J)Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, (K)‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,[c] or pestilence, or famine, (L)we will stand before this house and before you—(M)for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of (N)Ammon and Moab and (O)Mount Seir, whom (P)you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, (Q)and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us (R)by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not (S)execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but (T)our eyes are on you.”

13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And (U)the Spirit of the Lord came[d] upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, (V)‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, (W)for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of (X)the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 (Y)You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ (Z)Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, (AA)and the Lord will be with you.”

18 Then Jehoshaphat (AB)bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the (AC)Kohathites and the (AD)Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into (AE)the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! (AF)Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him (AG)in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

(AH)“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.”

22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set (AI)an ambush against the men of (AJ)Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, (AK)they all helped to destroy one another.

The Lord Delivers Judah

24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there[e] were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,[f] for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, (AL)for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 (AM)And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, (AN)for his God gave him rest all around.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:1 Compare 26:7; Hebrew Ammonites
  2. 2 Chronicles 20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (Syria)
  3. 2 Chronicles 20:9 Or the sword of judgment
  4. 2 Chronicles 20:14 Or was
  5. 2 Chronicles 20:24 Hebrew they
  6. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Beracah means blessing

But (A)Jehu the son of (B)Hanani (C)the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you (D)help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, (E)wrath has gone out against you from the Lord.

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When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of (A)Beth-rehob, and (B)the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of (C)Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of (D)Tob, 12,000 men. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of (E)the mighty men. And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and (F)the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and (G)the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 (H)Be of good courage, and (I)let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and (J)may the Lord do what seems good to him.” 13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond (K)the Euphrates.[a] They came to Helam, with (L)Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded (M)Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel (N)and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 10:16 Hebrew the River

23 So Joshua took the whole land, (A)according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. (B)And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel (C)according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

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The Fall of Ai

And the Lord said to Joshua, (A)“Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, (B)I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did (C)to Jericho and its king. Only (D)its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. And he commanded them, “Behold, (E)you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us (F)just as before, we shall flee before them. And they will come out after us, until we have (G)drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them. Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. (H)See, I have commanded you.” So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.

10 Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And (I)all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. 12 He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. 14 And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place[a] toward (J)the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. (K)But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel (L)pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16 So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they (M)were drawn away from the city. 17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.

18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, (N)“Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. 20 So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was (O)left none that survived or escaped. 23 But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.

24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword. 25 And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai. 26 But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he (P)stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.[b] 27 Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord that he (Q)commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a (R)heap of ruins, as it is to this day. 29 (S)And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. (T)And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and (U)raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 8:14 Hebrew appointed time
  2. Joshua 8:26 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)

14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, (A)born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as (B)Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot (C)with his possessions, and the women and the people.

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the (D)King's Valley).

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